ACMA Members Can Protest Unfair Fees for Shipments Trapped by Longshoreman Strike
ACMA members may file protests with the Federal Maritime Commission if they are unfairly charged fees at ports during a strike. The union representing East Coast port workers, the International Longshoreman Association (ILA), began a strike at midnight on October 1 following the expiration of their current contract. Contract talks between the union and management of 13 East Coast ports, USMX, had broken down in recent weeks after the union rejected several proposed wage increases from management. The strike impacts all ports from Boston to the Gulf of Mexico.
With ports shut down, members may find shipments are stuck in port. Please be aware that ACMA worked to pass legislation in 2022 to prevent unfair fees to importers and exporters when shipments linger at port for issues beyond their control.
ACMA joined over 200 other associations in multiple letters to President Biden urging him to use his authority to prevent significant economic damage from a prolonged strike. Economists have estimated this strike will cause $5 billion in damage to the U.S. economy per day, while logistics experts have suggested each day of strike activity will take 5 days to unwind through U.S. supply chains.
To file a complaint over fees, visit the Federal Maritime Commission website. Contact Dan Neumann with any questions.
Biden Administration Announces $1.5 Billion Effort to Add 1,000 Miles of Transmission Lines
The Department of Energy announced a multi-state effort to install 1,000 miles of new transmission lines on Thursday, October 3. This effort will be funded bythe Transmission Facilitation Program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will include investments in Maine, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and the Southeast.
The DOE also released a new study, the National Transmission Planning Study published in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, that predicts the U.S. will need to double or triple existing transmission capacity by 2050 to meet growing demand. The announced projects have a goal of adding 7,100 megawatts of new power capacity, and is part of the DOE goal of developing more than 3,000 miles of new and upgraded transmission lines by 2030, according to Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk in a press conference prior to the announcement.
To view the announcement click here. To read the National Transmission Planning Study, please click here.